maandag 29 september 2008

Just released on Source (the label that brought us Yelle and Rose) is an EP by Claire Denamur. A young folksinger born out of a Ukrainian mother and a Dutch father, who loves the grand ladies of blues and jazz (Billie, Ella, Nina), Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles. Good references. She opened for Renan Luce, played the Francofolies and she is very funny on stage (see here). Her voice is overstuffed with emotion, listen to this example. Can't wait for a full album (in February).Claire Denamur - Ah Les Hommes

zondag 28 september 2008

The new stuff: I already posted about the new Julien Clerc album, co-produced by B.Biolay, who also co-wrote some songs. There's a superspecial edition of Où s'en vont les avions?, with an extra dvd, postcards and yes, a piece of paper you can fold into an airplane. On this album you find the JC-version of Déranger Les Pierres, a song Julien worte with Carla Bruni, the latter recorded it solo for her album. The duet is here. Almost together with the fantastic Divinidylle Tour-cd/dvd by Vanessa Paradis (the collector's edition is breathtakingly beautiful), Marie Cherrier (pictured) released her Live at the Cigale-cd. Thanks to Franss, here's a song from that album. The crowd cheers so loud, you almost think it was enhanced.And finally: 80s child star Elsa Lunghini released her very good new album (no title), featuring songs by Da Silva, but also by my here Dominique A(né). He wrote two songs, the sad Ce Qui N'Existe Pas is the best. See the video for first single Oser here.And finally, a new song by Barbara Carlotti (thanks SOM), that appears on the album for literary festival Correspondances a Manosques.

vrijdag 26 september 2008

The new album by Mareva Galanter (out Oct 20) is called Happy Fiu, and features a few songs in English. See the video for Miss U here. You probably feel the same as me when you hear that song: wa'happened to the ukelele-lovin', ex-Miss France who frolicked through the French sixties wearing a very tight dress? Well, she met Britrockband Little Barrie, and made an album with them. She still cites Serge & Jane as her main influences, but the English songs I heard so far weren't as brilliant as, say, her version of Pourqoui Pas Moi. Or the French song (yes, there are French songs on Happy Fiu) posted here.Mareva Galanter - La Vie d'Artiste

'ieperdepipe 'oera, we got permission to put this song on Filles Fragiles 2 ! We thought it could not be done, but we were wrong! Champagne!(ps: that same song live, with vocals by Melissa Mars, is even hotter)

woensdag 24 september 2008

I love a rockband with fullblown guitars, and on top of that a fille fragile. Dolly was such a band. Popular in France, but fairly unkown elsewhere. They broke up following the tragic death (carcrash) of bassplayer Mickaël Chamberlin in 2005. Next week, the first soloalbum by Dolly-singer Emmanuelle Monet aka Manu is released. It features guitars, but mostly solid rock songs that show that Manu really has a sweet voice. She takes her foot off the fuzz pedal more than once, mind you. Not every song is a-okay, but single Tes Cicatrices (see here) and albumtrack Cow-Boy are really great.

Again, a post went AWOL (thanks to censorship-friendly Blogger/Google), this time the one about Vanessa Paradis. It's the oddest thing. As you might remember, ms. Paradis just released a live album and dvd, Divinidylle Tour (posted a review of a concert here, you can hear Maks scream in the Joe le Taxi version posted below, 'cause that was recorded in BXL). Have not seen that dvd yet, but the album is arguably her best to date. It features old faves and almost all songs from Divinidylle - played by that superband featuring -M- and Albin de la Simone. To give you an idea how much Vanessa has grown as a performer, I've added two versions of the same song from her former live-cd's.See V. and -M- duet here.Vanessa Paradis - Joe le Taxi (live) (from Divinidylle Tour)Vanessa Paradis - Joe le Taxi (live) (from Au Zenith, 2001)Vanessa Paradis - Joe le Taxi (live) (from Live, 1993)

donderdag 18 september 2008

we met last Monday in Paris, where I interviewed you about Hollywood, Mon Amour. We talked about music from the eighties, about your big hair (also in the 80s), about Versailles and ofcourse about girls. You had that same smile I have when I talk about les filles fragiles. That smirk with a little shyness. Ofcourse you picked the singers you work with also because of their looks. For Hollywood Mon Amour, the vocals are taken care of by (among others) Skye, Nadeah, Nancy Danino and Juliette Lewis. The latter, you told me, you got in touch with after she stated in a English magazine that she would love to work with you. (You also told me she had no clue that all Nouvelle Vague-songs are covers, but I could not write that) (Oops). You told me the next NV-album will feature duets, les filles with new wave-greats like Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) and Terry Hall (Specials). I heard also you tried out a few French songs, like Amoureux Solitaires and Ça Plane Pour Moi. You said you were working with Buzy, with Anna-O (who I met later at the H,MA-concert) and with Melanie Pain (who was at the concert too, just like Phoebe Killdeer). After I gave you Filles Fragiles 1, and told you about me and my blog (you said you weren't bothered that I post mp3s), you asked The Question: Do you know French singers, like Melanie Pain, the husky, smokey voiced ones. Because I cannot find them. When I got hold of myself, because this was like Jesus asking a mortal to explain the bible, I uttered: Cecile Hercule! I gave you her Myspace-url. But I promised you to send you some more names.Well, here's a few:-Lisa Portelli, from the North of France. She sounds a bit like Blossom Dearie, childlike but also a bit weird - she's a card carrying member of the David Lynch Foundation, you know. She made two little known albums, that need more attention. -Mayane and Sylie, aka Brigitte Sisters. Kooky, gorgeous girls who know how to sound sexy and funny.-Roxane K. The beautful little tease promised an album a year ago, but something got in the way, alas. Still, she's very busy, writing songs, winning prizes. She's a talent that needs to bloom. -Same goes for folky Sacha. Played her EP to death. She looks like a moviestar from the fifties, sings like an angel. -Celine Mastrorelli has a great name, looks fantastic and sings both powerful and fragile. Nice.-And don't forget Marine Boreale. Great name too, great looks. A star-to-be. If Gainsbourg were still alive, he'd want to work with her.Ofcourse, there are more. Way more. Just wander through this blog, click on the links, and you'll be amazed. Just like me.Hollywood Mon Amour feat. Skye - View to a Kill

Maybe I'm not looking close enough. But her labelsite looks very down. There is nothing on Myspace. And apart from some references to downloadsites, and this (but my guess is that this is a different Elisel), nothing. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Pity, because Juste Toi, Juste Moi by Elisel sounds gorgeous, a certified fille fragile. A bit like a more relaxed Alizée. Do you know anything about this girl?UPDATE: yes, Elisel the illustrator is the same als Elisel the singer. See here. (Merci Franss)More is known about Clarys, an art, film and music loving thirtysomething from Paris and Tours who just released her debut album, Noces de Singes. A few good songs on that, with jazzy undertones. Clarys used to be in triphopbands and an electro-outfit. She worked with Fabien Tessier, who also recorded with Claire Diterzi, and shared the stage with Pauline Croze and Franck Monnet. Oh, and she does not like sticky hands.

donderdag 11 september 2008

Because I started listening to Elodie Frégé again. Because someone send me this link. Because he produced JC's new album. Because I wasn't really happy with my Anniversary mix. Because I want him to come to Amsterdam. Because he's the greatest French songwriter of the decade. Because he was involved in so many great productions. Because you don't really need a reason.

(the Coralie Clement song was written and produced by BB, the Keren Ann song co-written and produced by BB, the Jo Stevens song produced by BB, Si tu disais is a Francoiz Breut cover, Les bords de seine a Claude François Etienne Daho cover)

woensdag 10 september 2008

Maybe because her fans send the IFPI-gestapo on my back, I stopped following the career of the beautiful Elodie Frégé. Shame. A protégé of Benjamin Biolay, who proved on her second album she did have the talent to be a great singer. Every time I play La Ceinture (one of the sexiest clips ever, keep watching what happens), or Gainsbourg-cover Velours des Vierges, I am in awe. I didn't know Benjamin Diamond made a fairly good house remix of La Fidelité, bumped into that recently. She's all over Youtube, with a duet with Biolay (click), a very intimate cover of a Brassens-song (click), and no less than two videos for La Fidelité (click, click). New material (some duets) will be released later this year.Elodie Frégé - La FidelítéElodie Frégé - La Fidelité (remix)

In April I posted two songs by Josianne Paradis from Quebec, a young singer with a soothing voice, great musical taste (Arianne Moffatt, Camille, Barbara) and an album coming up. That cd was released this week. A bit jazzy, with sixties references, some experimenting and a couple of really good songs. A singer to watch, therefore. Solitude, with it's jazzy bassline, Barbara-themed lyrics and lazy voice is one of my faves.

maandag 8 september 2008

This week, this blog celebrates it's third birthday (on September 10, to be precise), and it's a nice tradition to celebrate this date with a mix. I tried to make a mix using only ukelele-songs, because of Coralie's new album, but I don't own that many songs with the smallest guitar, and honestly, it gets to cheesy after a while. That said, cheesy isn't bad, so this year I tied together a bunch of French cheese, funny songs, parodies, campy hommages and ultra-sweet chansons. Hope you like it. Everything that happened the last three years was beyond my wildest dreams: so many visitors, lots of contributions, lots of nice comments, the release of Filles Fragiles 1, the upcoming release of Filles Fragiles 2, the concerts in November, the parties with Natasha, the dj-gigs, thanks for the memories!Filles Sourires Anniversaire Mix (III) download from HERE

Never was that fond of Spanish band Les Très Bien Ensemble, fronted by Suzette. Maybe because their faux-sixties pop was trying too hard, never really living up to the quality of their heroes (Hardy, Gainsbourg, the like). New album Rougeole is released this week - the title (Measels) was very funny, the idea (to take something that only time could heal) very philosophical, and closing song Un Jour is gorgeous. Yes, time can heal.Les Très Bien Ensemble - Un Jour

zondag 7 september 2008

Pierre from Peppermoon writes: So... I met Carol Jakob last january in New-York, after I fell in love with her first animation movie 'Layers'. We met at the Kinokunya bookstore's cafe, on Bryant Park (they make macha frappucinos !!).We talked about shooting a video for peppermoon, but nothing much happened until this summer... and when I received the first sequences, I really didn't regret at all. I'm very proud of her work, it stands out, it's very personnal, different and unique.Actually, if I had the money now, I'd ask her to shoot videos for other songs right away.I'd love to give these videos on our forthcoming debut album - because I think we should give a little extra to people who still buy CDs. We're gonna see how to make it happen.

donderdag 4 september 2008

Connaisseurs of les filles fragiles are found in various places. Take Greg Saunier, of indie-band Deerhoof. He made a mixtape for the September issue of dance-mag XLR8R, featuring Michael Bolton (no, really), Beatles, Stones, Los Van Van and Staple Singers. But also featuring Brigitte Bardot. He writes: 'This song never settles inot a rhythm or mood. It keeps you on your toes. We play this at our shows as between-bands background music.' I think it deserves better than to serve as background music, don't you agree? Brigitte Bardot - Invitango

dinsdag 2 september 2008

This month, Filles Sourires celebrates it's Third Birthday. And whaddayaknow, The Lovers come over to Amsterdam. Can you say PARTY!?

Venue: De Nieuwe Anita, Frederik Hendrikstraat 111, AmsterdamDate: Sunday 28 September, doors open 6 pm, show 7:30 pm (be on time!), € 7,50Who are The Lovers, you ask?Marion Benoist is the French 'zuchtmeisje' (sighing female singer) par excellence. When she sings, it’s like good champagne going to your head. When she moves in her short, tight skirts on stage, the champagne bubbles head downwards. Marion is half of the duo The Lovers and has her lover Fred de Fred standing by her smiling languishingly on guitar. This modern day Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin will get you bothered, laughing and dancing. They’ve played once in Paradiso and on Queen’s Night, but you’ll never see them so close as in De Nieuwe Anita. Intimate, cosy and hot: just the location this band needs (and Marion and Fred are bringing two friends along as well). Their new album is almost out. For people who still can’t get masculine and feminine right, come and learn it from The Lovers!

Besides the band’s music, they’ll be DJing by yéyé music connoisseur DJ Natashka and zuchtmeisje fanatic DJ Guuzbourg, a DVD specially made for the occasion and some food to complement your drinks. You’ll never have a Sunday like this for a long time!

Julien Clerc has a new album out, produced by Benjamin Biolay. BB is also in the video for the new single.(This is a repost, Blogger deleted this post I think. Nobody told me anything)Julien Clerc - La Jupe en Laine

Ever since their first compilation, I've a weak spot for Rob Garza and Eric 'Paris is not my niece' Hilton, aka Thievery Corporation. The duo from D.C. make lush, laidback music and take inspiration from afrobeat, bossa nova, Bollywood music, reggae and French sixties-pop. On almost every TC record, there's an ideal song for trying out your shagcarpeting - on the upcoming album Radio Retaliation it's La Femme Parallel, sung by the sweet Lou Lou who, according to her Myspace, likes mushrooms too. The new TC-album also sports collabs with Femi Kuti, Anushka Shankar and DC's gogo-godfather Chuck Brown. Thievery Corporation - La Femme Parallel